Edamame works well in salads, savory dips

Edamame are young, sweet, green soybeans harvested while still tender. Sometimes you will see them referred to as Japanese soybeans because "eda" means branch or twig and "mame" is bean in Japanese.Look for fresh, shelled edamame (eh-dah-MAH-meh) in the produce section of many grocery stores. They are also sold frozen, both in the pod and shelled.The word was first found in an English-language publication in 1951. But edamame and its definition (immature green soybeans, usually in the pod) was added to the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary as a new word only in 2008.Edamame is used as a source of protein in many vegetarian recipes. A half-cup of edamame contains about 8 grams of protein. Like many other beans, edamame also has fiber, with 4 grams per half-cup serving.You can eat edamame hot or cold. They have a very mild bean taste and, when cooked, a soft texture.A popular way to enjoy edamame is to steam or boil them in their pods in salted water. Remove them , pop the beans out of their pods and lightly salt them.Edamame pods are not edible.You can eat edamame on their own for a snack or you can add them to casseroles and stir-fries or serve them as a side dish. Edamame is a great addition to a tossed salad or substitute them for another bean in a bean salad.Their soft texture makes them easy to process into a paste-like mixture for use in dips.Detroit Free Press

Share your comments: Log in using your HeraldNet account or your Facebook, Twitter or Disqus profile. Comments that violate the rules are subject to removal. Please see our terms of use. Please note that you must verify your email address for your comments to appear.